Butter cutter



J. P. SCARTSARIS Feb. 18, 1930 BUTTER CUTTER Filed Aug. 25, 1928 INVENTOR ATTORNEY:

JilMss P 5CARTSARI5 Patented Feb. 18, 1930 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES 1. SCARTSARIS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO BUTTER CUTTER Application filed August 25, 1928. Serial No. 301,982.

This invention relates to an improved form of butter cutter.

The object of the present invention is to devise a comparatively compact form of butter cutter which at the same time is capable of various adjustments whereby different sizes of butter may be cut with the same device.

A further object is to provide such a device which may be constructed and sold at a comparatively small cost.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of device;

21-;5 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same form of device; Fig. 3 is a plan view of another form of device; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the second form of device; Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views of Figs. 1 and 3,

1 :2 taken upon lines 5-5 and 66, respectively.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the substantially rectangular frame may be formed as a metal casting or as-a metal stamping. In either case, the frame com rises the lon itudinal side members 1 P s and 2, and the end members which are provided with the handle portions 3. The side members are inclined somewhat downwardly and have notches cut therein at regular der0 sired intervals, as indicated by reference'numeral 4, so as to form ears 5 at opposite points along the two side members of the frame. These slots and ears are for the purpose of maintaining the stretched wire in position upon the frame, as clearly indicated in the drawing. The one handle member 3is provided with a screw 6 extending through the same, to which there is secured the two ends of a single flexible wire whlch is arranged upon one-half portion of the end of the frame and passed through a suitably formed out or groove 10 at the corner of the frame whence the wire is led in under the first ear 5 and then extended back and forth across the frame, through the slits and about the ears 5. It is to be understood that the slits 4 and ears 5 may be formed throughout any desired portion of the frame and that they may be arranged in such a manner as to provide any desired space between the wires for cutting 90 a desired size of butter. In the present case, the transverse stretches of the wire are discontinued at such a point as to leave open space on the two sides of the longitudinal wire 7 of an extent corresponding to the halves 0,5 of a pound block of butter. In the present case, the wire, upon reaching the last slit l,

is led along under the remaining portion of the side of the frame and extended'through the groove 11 and across the half of the end portion of the frame so as to then be secured about the screw 6. Then, upon turning the screw 6, the wire may be drawn taut and maintained in such condition.

In using the above described form of butterv cutter, the pound block of butter may be cut into halves by means of the longitudinal wire 7 and in the manner just now referred to. That is, the block of butter may be cut, longitudinally into half-pound portions. E59 Then, each half-pound portion may be cut by means of the transverse and longitudinal wires so as to obtain the smaller pieces of butter,'as may be desired. Should it be desired to ,cut the half-pound portions into pieces twice the size ofthat provided for in i the present illustration, the transverse strands "of wire may be spaced apart twice the distance herein shown. That is, the wire may be stretched back and forth and engaged through 9Q the alternating slits and about the alternating ears.

The form of device illustrated. in Figs. 3 and 4 also comprises an integral one-piece casting of rectangular form having integrally 5 formed handle portions 12 at the two ends thereof. The side walls of this form of device areprovided with integrally formed ears 13 which are arranged substantially midway oftheheight of the side portions of the frame in I as clearly indicated in Fig 4E. Theseears are arrangedequal distances apart and the sides of the frame are inclined or beveled inwardly @both' above'and- -below the ears 13. These which are extended about the ears 13. In

this case,'as=-in thepreceding form of device,

beveled side portions are provided'with slits through which to extendthestretches of wire there is employed a singlewire, both ends of which are secured to thescrew 14 mountedin theone handle'portion 12. The Wire in this case is applied in the same generalnmanner V as in the preceding formof device. That is,

c r, 175; k l V p "-tiall y midway along the length or the frame,

thence through the opening '15 in the other i ed throughthe slits'and about the ears 13 e-the 'preceding form of device. plain"ed, the transverse parallelstretches of the one end of the wireis first anch'ored to the screw 14 and is then stretchedsubstanhandle portion Yu'nder which the wire then passes to the side of the frameand underfthe corner portion 12 A The wire is then extendso as to extend back and forth across the frame inparallel stretches for thesamepurpose as already described in connect-ionwith As beforeexwire may extend throughout any'de sired por- V-tion ofthe frame, although it is preferred to reserve a portion at theone end thereof which v ao has only the. longitudinally extending wire which isadapted for severing the poundblock of butter intolhalf-pound blocks. In this case, as in;,the precedingiform ofldevice,the

a half-pound portions-are then each cut into smaller pieces-by meansof the intersecting transverse and longitudinal-stretches of wire.

- Thef pres ent formbf device,' furtherinore,

is capable of cutting the half-pound portions I of the frame, there maybe providedtwo se-j of butter into various sizes of smaller pieces, according to the size desired. Forins'tance, along'the upper beveled portions of the sides ri'e's'of' sli-ts' spaced attwo difl erentzdistances apart. "That'is," at theri-ght hand end portionsof the upper beveled portions, the slits 7 may be spacedap'art at suitable distances core 2 responding Eighty ividual cuts'per 7 pound; Whereas the ppe l d p rtion" at the left hand endof thfe frame may be provided with slits separated a distance rcorr'esponding to seventyetwjo individual jcutsper pound. Throughout; the middlepart. of, the upper beveled -portion,}thesetwo' 'series of:-

' 3 slits lmay overlap for the purpose ofeconof miz'ing 'spaces'o as to keep the proportio s;

v ofthe device within certain limits.

Then: the lower beveled porfions along the sides of thejiframe maybe provided'with slits atthe"right* h'a'nd e'n'dspaced apart'at suitk to" able intervals for the 'cuttingi'of a pound block intosixty-"four individual pieces; while the left j hand fportions of the; lower beveled side portions may be slitted at suitable dis tances-corresponding to fifty-jsix'individual pieces; -;-H'ere alsothe rightandilefthand see,

What I lai ries of slits overlap throughoutthe middle) portion for the purpose of economizing space. g Assuming the length ofi'the half-pound block of butter to be substantially four and one-half inches, the distance between the slits may be determined according tothe number of individual pieces vdesired. 7 Thus, the num- Y ber of transverse'stretc'hes of 7 wire can also be readily determined." Supposing the slitsalong the-upper right hand end portion of the side ofthe frame to be spaced for the cutvting;oiieighty individual pieces, then by arranging the wire in the alternating slits,

individual cuts of butter can ,be reduced to forty. Y The same principle j holds true throughout all of the several series ofslits, it

rather th an in all ofthe slits, the number of bei11ig-remembered.' that in calculatingthe I number of pieces to beicut and the corre} sponding spacing of theslits, they shouldalways be a multiple of four. This is true since the pound block is first cut into halves and the halves are then cut into'quarters by the same longitudinally extending wire;

' In-both forms of device, as herein disclosed, ,the user can determine the exact-'slze of in- V dividual pieces of butter desired'forj use at a given time, and can then regulate'yor adjust the stretches of wire across the frame accord ingly. That is, the wire maybe loosened by pro-per adjustment of thescrew to whic'hthe ends of thewireare secured, and after-setting the transverse stretches of wire according to v the immediate need, the wirecan be drawn taut by simply turning the screw. If so desired, the'nuts 6 and' lt -may be employed as a means of securing thewires morefirmly in adjusted position. Thusthe applicant has not'only devised a simple and compact form ofdeviee but one in which variousadjusts nients'are'possible for the purpose ofcutting varioussizes of individual pieces of butter.

Furthermore, there is employed -butaf-single wire, both endsof which may be drawn taut single screw. Y 1

at the same time "by the manipulation a It is to be understood that the presentdis closure; is merely for purpo'ses of illustration and-- that this same principle ofinventionmay be embodied in variousf'modified forms of [structure All such modifications andfvaria- 'tions are intended'to be fol-lowing claims; v

' 'li-" A- butter eutter comprising a one-piece condition. a r a comprehend d by the 23A butter'cutter comprising a bn'fpice r frame, projections arranged along opposite t I sides of sai'd frame, a single} wire extending back and forth across said frame and about said projections, a plurality of series of slits provided upon opposite sides of said frame and adjacent said projections, the slits of one series being spaced apart a different distance from those of another series, and a single means upon one end of said frame for engaging the tWo ends of said wire for securing the same in taut condition about said projections and in said slits, whereby said wire can be arranged with its transverse portions spaced different distances apart, according to the size of butter cut desired.

3. A butter cutter comprising a one-piece frame, projections arranged along opposite sides of said frame, a single wire extending back and forth across said frame and about said projections, a plurality of series of slits provided upon the upper and lower portions of the sides of said frame and adjacent said projections, the slits of one series being spaced apart a distance different from that between the slits of another of said series, and a single means upon said frame for engaging the two ends of said wire and for securing the same in taut condition about said projections and in said slits, whereby said wire can be arranged with its transverse portions spaced at dilferent distances apart, according to the size of butter cut desired.

4. A butter cutter comprising a one-piece frame, projections arranged along opposite sides of said frame, a single wire extending back and forth across said frame and about said projections, a plurality of series of slits provided upon opposite end portions of the sides of said frame and adjacent said projections, the slits of one series being spaced apart a distance difierent from that between the slits of another of said series, and a single means upon said frame for engaging the two ends of said wire for securing the same in taut condition about said projections and in said slits, whereby said wire can be arranged with its transverse portions spaced at different distances apart according to the size of butter cut desired.

5. A butter cutter comprising a one-piece frame, projections arranged along opposite sides of said frame, a single wire extending back and forth across said frame and about said projections, a plurality of series of slits provided upon opposite end portions of the sides of said frame and adjacent said proj ections, the slits of one series being spaced apart a distance difierent from that between the slits of another of said series, and a single means upon said frame for engaging the two ends of said wire for securing the ends of said wire for securing the same in taut condition about said projections and in said slit, the slits of said series being arranged in overlapping relation throughout the middle portion of each of the sides of said frame, whereby said wire can be arranged with its transverse portions spaced at different'distances apart'according to the size of butter cut desired.

- 6. A butter cutter comprising a substantially rectangular frame having opposite upper and lower side portions of twoof the sides thereof beveled inwardly from substantially the middle point of the height thereof, projections arranged along the sides of the frame and substantially mid-way of said upper and lower beveled portions, a plurality of series of slits'provided upon said beveled portions and adjacent said projections, the slits of one series being spaced a different distance apart than those of another series, a wire for cutting the butter, and means upon said frame for securing the wire in taut condition about the said projections and insaid slits, whereby said wire can bearranged with its transverse portions'spaced different distances apart according to the size of butter cut desired.

7. A butter cutter comprising a substantially rectangular frame of one piece having integral handle portions at the ends thereof, the opposite sides of said frame having oppositely disposed integrally formed projections along the sides thereof and substantially mid-way of being beveled inwardly above and below said projections, a plurality of series of slits provided upon each of said beveledportions and overlapping-each other throughout the middle portions of the sides of the frame, the slits of one series being spaced apart a different distance from those of another series, a single wire for cutting the butter, said slits being adjacent said projections for co-operation therewith in maintaining the wire in stretched arrangement back and forth across said frame, and an adjustable single means for maintaining the said single wire in taut condition about said projectionsand in said slits, said wire extending longitudinally substantially mid-way of the width thereof, said parts being so constructed and arranged that said wire can be secured with its transverse portions spaced at different distances apart according to the size of butter cut desired.

8. A butter cutter comprising a substantially rectangular frame of one piece having integrally formed handle portions at the ends thereof, the opposite sidesof said frame having oppositely disposed and integrally formed projections along the sides thereof the height thereof, said sides and substantially mid-way of the height thereof, said sides being beveled inwardly above and below said projections, a plurality of series of slits provided upon each of said beveled portions and overlapping each other throughout the middle portions of the sides of the frame, the slits of one series being spaced a different distance apart from those of another series, a single wire for cutting the butter, said slits being adjacent said projections for co-opera-. tion therewith in maintaining the wire in V g .7 g n 1 1,747,399

stretched arrangement back and forth across the frame; and'an adjustable single means 7 for maintaining said Wirein taut condition about said projections and in said'slits, said ire extending longitudinally substantially 'mid-Way of the Width thereof, said transverse stretches of Wire extending throughout only .a portion of the length of said-frame, and said longitudinal portion of said'wire extending r. throughout the, entire length thereof, thereby, providing a means for first cutting a block of l butte'rr in one direction and through the midv dlethereoi so as to form halves, and then cutting each halfjatiright angles t0 vthe first 7 direction of cutting and'at thesa-Inetime still a 1 further sub-dividing thes'ame into individual cuts, said parts being so constructed and a1 ranged that said ,Wire can be arranged .With g 7 its transverse portions spaced at diiferent dis- 'tance's apart, according'to the size of butter cut'desired. V V ,7 .j, a. In testimony whereofllhereby aflix my PMSOARTSARIIS,

signature. 

